The Turkish army received the go-ahead from the country’s parliament to engage in military action against Islamic State insurgents in Syria and Iraq. Meanwhile, a senior NATO official said the bloc's involvement is “practically” possible.

Ankara lawmakers on Thursday also authorized foreign forces on
Turkish territory when participating in operations against the
Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL).

"The rising influence of radical groups in Syria threatens
Turkey's national security...The aim of this mandate is to
minimize as much as possible the impact of the clashes on our
borders," Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz told parliament.

Parliament approved the new one-year mandate, with 298 deputies
voting in favor and 98 against the motion.

However, no specific commitments have been made just yet.
“You shouldn't expect any move immediately after the
mandate” passes, Yilmaz told reporters before the parliament
vote on Thursday.

Part of the mandate dealing with foreign troops in Turkey
directly references US pressure on Ankara to permit the use of
Incirlik air base in the Adana region, located in the south of
the country.

Parliament’s decision followed a change in the nation’s defense
policy signaled by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last week as
Islamic State fighters came close to the Turkish border with
northern Syria.

Erdogan said on Wednesday that Turkey will join the US-led fight
against terrorist groups in the region, including Islamic State
militants.

"We will fight effectively against both [Islamic State] and
all other terrorist organizations within the region. This will
always be our priority," President Erdogan said in his
opening speech of the legislative session of the Turkish
parliament. "We are open and ready for any cooperation in the
fight against terrorism.”

Until now, Turkey had refused direct military involvement in the
conflict.

Syria has warned Turkey that it will regard deploying troops
inside its borders as an “aggression” – “against a
founding member of the United Nations.” In a Foreign
Ministry statement issued on Friday, Syria called on the
international community to "put limits to the adventures of
the Turkish leadership," SANA news agency reports.

NATO’s go-ahead ‘primarily a political issue’

More than 30 nations have committed to the US-led coalition
against Islamic State militants.

Moreover, it is technically possible for NATO to join the US-led
campaign against ISIS, but the decision has not yet been made,
chairman of NATO’s Defense Committee, General Knud Bartels, said
at a press conference on Thursday.

“This is primarily a political issue to be decided with
allies. Appropriate measures must be developed,” Bartels
said, as quoted by TASS. “From the practical standpoint it
can be done one way or the other – depending on what needs to be
achieved.”

Bartels revealed that members of the alliance have been
discussing the issue and proposing various ideas.